Hydrophilic silicon compounds and use of these compounds for producing contact lenses are described in DE-A 30 03 300 (American Optical Corp., published on Aug. 7, 1980). The weakly hydrophilic silicones contain hydroxypropyl groups and no polyoxyalkylenes and the esterification is carried out using the not unproblematical methacryloyl chloride. DE-B 1 270 716 (Dow Corning Corp., published on Jun. 20, 1968) discloses means of improving the adhesion of polymers to substrates. The corresponding compounds are prepared by hydrolysis and condensation of acrylated oxyalkylenesilanes or polyoxyalkylenesilanes. This does not give a separate distribution of acrylate and polyoxyalkylene groups along the polymer backbone.
Hydrophilic silicones having epoxy functionability as reactive groups are described in EP-A 470 613 (Union Carbide Chemicals and Plastics Co., issued on Feb. 12, 1992). Hydrophilic silicones without further reactive groups are described in EP-A 475 363 (Dow Corning Toray Silicone Co., issued on Mar. 18, 1992). These are prepared by reacting (meth)acrylated polyoxyalkylenes with polysiloxanes containing amino groups in a reaction similar to a Michael addition, which prevents obtaining products containing residual acrylate groups on the polysiloxane. Finally, EP-A 400 827 (Hoechst Celanese Corp., issued on Dec. 5, 1990) describes oxymethylene polymers having polysiloxane side chains. However, that application does not describe higher oxyalkylene polymers.
For the purposes of the present invention, the term organopolysiloxanes refers to silanes, dimeric, oligomeric and polymeric siloxanes.